


Benny and the Courier

by haveaniceday



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Drinking, F/M, Free New Vegas!, Freeside, Gambling, Love/Hate, Lucky 38, Sex, The Strip, The Tops, heartaches by the number, love tringles?, patrolling the mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter!, please remaster this game, send help to the legion, they're crazy lmao, todd annoys me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-05-31 19:28:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15126311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haveaniceday/pseuds/haveaniceday
Summary: What if Benny never disappeared after rescuing him from the fort?





	1. The one where they meet again

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who clicked on this fic! this is my first one on this new account. A few years back i posted work based in fallout 4 and wrote about the relationship between Arthur Maxson and the female sole survivor mostly. Let's skip the part where i got writer's block for months and fast forward to when i first started playing fallout new vegas. It is, in my opinion, my favourite fallout game and for some strange reason i loved Benny's character (plus he's voiced by Matthew Perry sooo...<3) and I liked the idea of him and the female courier getting together, the black widow dialogue was a crease lmao. And when i found out that he disappeared after the rescuing him from the fort, i was quite disappointed because i thought his character still had more to give, hence came this fic. I want to explore what would happen if he never disappeared and see if he and the courier would work at all!
> 
> Writing on here before, my main focus was on how many hits and kudos I had, but now I realise that I'm a lot happier when I don't think about that and just enjoy writing. It's on my bucket list to finish a fanfiction and I know the game is pushing a decade old but I've gave it my best shot and I encourage anyone who is thinking about writing a fanfiction to give it a go and see what you can come up with! If you've made it this far, i hope you enjoy it and have an amazing day :))
> 
> By the way, if anyone is wondering what inspired this work:  
>  _Never be the same by Camilla Cabello!_

**_Ellen_ **

Ellen examined herself in the cracked, but mostly-intact mirror. She turned her head to the side, moved it back and then forward, wondering how she had went from going into the Tops with the sole purpose of killing Benny, to now sitting alone in his suite, her body aching from their night spent together. She didn't expect him to still be here when she woke, she knew he'd run. Whatever possessed her to chat him up, only God knows. Maybe it was the two or three sugar drenched cocktails she had drunk before he waltzed into the Casino Floor, four chairmen guards following him closely, ordering the busy crowds of gamblers to make way for them; she had always been a lightweight.

But she hated him for what he had done to her and she had the night planned out in her head. She'd smuggle a gun in, the hunks in the lobby would be none the wiser as long as she complied with them, and then she'd wait for Benny. Ellen knew he'd have guards with him, she had heard in Freeside that he was the head of the chairmen who ran a hotel called the Tops. That meant she'd have to get him alone. But how? Ellen decided that she would wait for him in a hot spot of the hotel and what place better than the casino floor, bursting with life twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. She figured Benny would make an appearance at some point, he did run the Tops after all. Once he arrived, full on confrontation, force him to take her to talk in some place private, some place his reputation wouldn't be tarnished by his own selfishness and greed. Maybe she'd let him explain himself first, maybe she wouldn't, but he wasn't leaving alive whatever way she'd play it.

Then she would take the platinum chip and deliver it to Mr House like she originally set out to do.

She had gotten to the waiting for Benny part, before her plan did a one eighty. The way he walked, his dark hair, even darker eyes and that ridiculous suit...It had been so long since she had done anything with anyone. Confrontation turned into a pickup. He was reluctant at first, confused as to why she hadn't pulled the trigger on him yet, but then he just went with it. _"Did those bullets scramble your egg, or have you always been a naughty broad...?"_

_"Girls like bad boys. And you've been downright awful."_ she had giggled in response.

_"You're one sick pussycat baby, there's quins and then there's...I don't even know what to call you."_

She asked him how about it, and he became flustered, his face reddening, his words becoming stuttery, hastily replying with _"All right, honey baby, this is all kinds of wrong but to my suite it is. Thirteenth floor. Don't- keep me waiting."_

Anticipating what was going to happen next, the thought of killing Benny never even crossed her mind, nor did it after sex, or when he had fell asleep before her. Instead she went to sleep too, cuddled into her killer as if they were some loved up couple. After waking up in a heap of twisted sheets the next morning, she was welcomed with an empty mattress and a note from Benny that he had left on the bedside table for her to see:

_Pussycat -_

_Thanks for showing this cat the best hey-hey he's ever-ever! Talk about platinum in the sack, toots! Where'd you learn that 18 karat trick with the heels of your feet? You didn't just make my toes curl - they popped off and rolled under the bed!_

_I wish I could stay for another round, but this gent's got places to be, things to do. You showing up has forced my hand, baby! The time to act is now!_

_I won't be around for a while, but if everything works out right, you and me are a date, got it? Wouldn't miss it for all the caps in Vegas._

_Now don't get clingy and try to follow me._

_Ciao,_

_Benny_

Placing the note on the sink's side, Ellen hopped into the shower she had running, the water lukewarm. Twenty minutes later, she was dressed back into the blue dress she had worn the night before. She was kind of hoping Benny would have some spare clothes lying around, but apparently not. She knew she'd have to go see House at some point, but wondered how she was going to explain to him that she slept with the man who shot her in the head for the platinum chip then disappeared, despite that robot of House's, Victor, the one who got her to Doc Mitchell back in Goodsprings, telling her to go to the Lucky 38 first before going to look for Benny. Ignoring that for now, Ellen was interested to know if there was anything that would tell her where Benny went, because she knew she was going to have to go after him eventually.

God, she was so stupid. Why didn't she just kill him? Kill him before all of this happened, save herself of the childish attachment she was feeling...

She wasn't surprised that he left nothing in his tracks. Her last bet was the door in the corner of the bedroom. She wasn't expecting much, probably just a closet or something. The door creaked open on it's own, without Ellen even having to touch it. She peered in and- "What the...?" The room was dimly lit by a single light bulb hanging from the falling apart ceiling. Ellen stepped in further, getting a better look of the room. There were six terminals, each one of them broken by some sort of malfunction. She tried searching through the stacks of papers sprawled across the desk by the door, but none of them had anything she was looking for. What the hell was all of this? She looked around the room again, a dark shadow in the corner catching her eye. Suddenly, a face appeared and a robot, one of House's robots moved towards her, but before she could turn around and run the other way, a cheery voice spoke:

"Hey! Hi there, good to meet you! What can I do for you today?"

**_Benny_**

Benny looked down at the courier snuggled into the crook of his neck, snoring so loud the whole Tops could probably hear her. Alright he was being dramatic, but it's what woke him up. He carefully adjusted himself so he was sat up, letting the courier's head fall onto the springy mattress. The pillows were somewhere on the floor. He gently brushed the loose strands of her blonde hair out of the way of her heart shaped face, his hand flinching as it touched the webbed scar on her temple. Those two bullets had hit her hard, he had for sure thought she was a goner. Guess he was wrong.

The night before he had walked into the casino, his guards guards following in suit, just like he did everyday. A quick check over the hotel and it was back to his suite to drink some scotch or go chat up some gal in the Aces theatre. He was always down for a good time, it was never anything serious though. Usually just a quick hookup, where he was drunk, or she was, and then he'd never see her again. That was the way he liked it. No strings attached just booze, sex, repeat. Good mantra to live by for sure.

That's the way the night had started at least. He looked over at the new bar in the casino where one hellish dolly broad was sat, her back to him, wearing a light blue dress that hugged her figure in all the right places with her platinum hair pinned up like one of those girls in a pre-war magazine. The bartender handed her a cocktail with a wink and a witty comment, making her giggle with tipsy laughter. Benny briskly kept walking around the casino floor, his guards behind him and his eyes glued to this gal at the bar. She was surely going to be the one tonight, but damn, she looked freakishly familiar. If he could just get her attention, he'd have a better look of her face.

Turns out his guards ordering the masses of casino-goers to make way was enough to get a head turn from her. Then he realised. "What in the goddamn...?"

All at once he was hit with a wave of confusion, relief and panic. Her blue eyes were on him, a smirk on her lips, an arched eyebrow raised. The courier he had killed with Maria, watched the great khans he hired roll her lifeless body into a dug out grave at Goodsprings cemetery and bury her with the dry Nevada desert soil, was sat in his bar, alive, swirling her cocktail glass around as she watched him with a sultry grin. He quickly looked away, pulling out a cigarette, then digging through his pockets for his golden lighter. Where the hell was that thing? His heart skipping a beat, Benny glanced back up at the courier raised from the dead. She smiled at him again, taking one last sip of her drink, before standing up.

She was coming over. Oh shit. Abruptly dismissing his guards, he nervously watched the courier walk up the steps of the casino floor towards him, quickly clearing his throat before he spoke. "Let's keep this in the grove, hey? Smooth moves, like smooth little babies..." He sounded confident but in truth he was a cat on hot bricks. He had his hand ready to pull out Maria, knowing that she'd have got something past the lobby. Of course those goons at the desk wouldn't think to do a full pat down search on her would they? No, she was too pretty to do that wasn't she? He figured she'd went along with them, handing over what she was holding, engaging in their small talk and innocently walking in, his dopey chairmen not even giving it a second thought.

Expecting her to confront him, make a scene, whip out whatever peashooter she had strapped to her thigh and take the first shot, he was completely thrown off guard when she began flirting with him. He thought she had a screw loose or something, wondered if the bullets had messed up her brain, made her go cuckoo. He kind of liked it though, she was gorgeous, anyone would agree with him on that and so what if he had tried to kill her just a few months before? He was about to get at it with Miss New Vegas over here and you bet he was going to enjoy it.

Though the sex was great, Benny wondered if it was all just an act to even her score with him. They'd be alone, he'd have no Maria, he was kind of waiting for something to happen to him. He still dozed off though, if it happened it happened and he couldn't really say that he didn't deserve it. But here he was, watching the courier sleep. He didn't even know her name, just called her pussycat. He thought it suited her. And as much as he wanted to stay and laze around in bed all day, maybe grab breakfast later or something, Benny knew he couldn't. She was going to wake up soon and he had to get this platinum chip to the fort before she could stop him, because he knew she'd have something to say about it. Probably disagreeing with him, but he'd deal with that later. Or would he?

If she was going to make things difficult, he could just finish her off right now in his suite and make things a hell of a lot more easier for himself...Yeah, it sounded simple enough. Benny carefully picked up his beloved Maria from off the bedside, examining it for a minute before aiming it at the courier's scarred temple. There was no way she was surviving this one. No third chances, no feelings attached, he'd be on his way in no time. He clicked Maria off safety and placed his finger on the trigger. He'd just do it, get it over with. "Guess this is goodbye pussycat..." Come on, how hard could it be? Just one shot and it'd be done. He'd never have to worry about her again...

One, two, three minutes passed and he couldn't do it. He couldn't pull the trigger on her, she didn't deserve it. Frustrated with himself, Benny lowered Maria, clicking the safety back on. He glanced back down at the sleeping courier. After all he had done to her, shot her in the head, then left her for dead in Goodsprings. She even had the chance to pay him back for it, but she never and he was here, thinking about killing her for the second time.

Jesus, he was one twisted fink.

Briskly dressing into his suit from the night before, quickly freshening up in the bathroom and patting down his dark dishevelled hair, not sure if it was making a difference a not, Benny figured he should at least leave the courier a note. He found a bit of paper in an old drawer and pulled out a pen from his jacket. He kept it casual, explained how much he enjoyed their night together, hinted that he'd be down for it again sometime if everything worked out, joked that he didn't want her to get all clingy and follow him. She'd catch up with him eventually, but quietly placing the note on the bedside table next to where she slept, he left through the crummy dug out escape tunnel he had made that would take him out of the Strip and on route to the fort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it!! Now the first few chapters are going to be following the plot as it goes in the game, so just a heads up for the future. I'm going to try update this as often as i can and any comments or kudos would be really appreciated :) See you soon with the next chapter <3 Just want to add that more tags and warnings may be added as the story goes on so keep an eye out for that too ;))


	2. The one where she finds Yes-Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An early upload of chapter two!! Sorry, no Benny in this chapter, it's more of just a plot thickener this one. thanks for reading and I really hope you enjoy it :))

**_Ellen_ **

"Sorry, did I startle you? I didn't mean to do that, my bad!"

"What are you doing here?" Ellen asked, completely confused as to what one of House's securitrons was doing up in Benny's suite. The smiling robot laughed awkwardly.

"Where are my manners?! Allow me to introduce myself! I'm a PDQ-88b securitron, but you can call me Yes-man!"

"Yes-man?"

"It's what Benny always called me. Probably because I'm programmed to be so helpful." Ellen knew Benny had his head screwed on, but she didn't take him for a genius. How had he programmed a securitron? Where did he even get one from? And why did he need one? She had all these questions and quickly realised that this securitron in front of her, had all the answers. She was going to find out as much as she could, the first thing being what the hell was Benny's deal with the platinum chip.

Yes-man answered everything, telling her that Benny had left through this escape elevator he had made to get himself out of the Strip undetected. This room was his workshop he had blocked off from the hotel for his own use. It turns out he had got help with programming Yes-man, some lady from the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside. Yes-man was behind everything that happened after that. He told Benny where she would be the day she was delivering the platinum chip to the Lucky 38, set him up in the perfect position to take the chip from her. Yes-man gloated about it, boasting that he was able to get all her information from being connected to House's network. At first he didn't even believe that she was the courier Benny had shot, told her it was impossible. Soon he understood and began desperately apologising for taking so much pride in how well Benny's plan worked out. She never blamed Yes-man though, it was never his idea to kill her, or at least try to.

"So what is Benny actually planning to do with the chip?"

"Oh! He wants to kill Mr. House and use the platinum chip to copy my neuro-computational matrix onto the Lucky 38's mainframe! That would give me control over all of Mr. House's defences, most prominently his securitrons. And then I just do what Benny tells me- easy peasy!" So in simpler terms, Benny wanted to control the Strip. Ellen couldn't say she was surprised, if he would go as far as murder to get the chip, he surely had something big planned. But he couldn't just overthrow House, could he? And what about the other families? Freeside? He wouldn’t get away with it, he couldn’t. Not alone.

"Where’s Benny going?"

"He's going to the underground bunker at fortification hill! Mr. House has something amazing hidden in there, and once Benny gets in using the platinum chip, that amazing something will be essential in taking over the Strip and finishing Mr. House off for good!" The way Yes-man continued smiling as he said that made Ellen feel uneasy. So did the idea of going to the Fort.

She was no stranger to the Legion and all the unforgivable crimes they had committed. She had watched them burn down a whole town before. Nipton. They made all the people who lived there enter a lottery. The winner was set free, so was runners up but with a catch of course and the rest were killed, one by one, either burnt alive or crucified. It was horrific: The huge flames that engulfed the town, the rotten smell of burning bodies, the blood everywhere, splattered on the walls, seeping into the ground, it made her sick to her stomach. Then she had seen them. The legionaries who had done it, led by _Vulpes Inculta_.

In that moment, anger took over and she was shouting and screaming and swearing at these- these monsters. Vulpes had simply laughed, and when she swung at him in fury, he didn't try to stop her. She got him right in the mouth, her hand stinging like hell afterwards, but fuck, he deserved so much more than just a punch. He casually wiped the blood off his busted bottom lip with his thumb, as if it never hurt him at all and warned against making an enemy of the Legion before leaving with an _"Until the next time."_ and disappearing up the hill, the other legionaries running behind. After that, she vowed to work against them, destroying their garrison they had set up in Nelson with Boone - an ex sniper she met in Novac, then persuading the Great Khans to break their alliance with the Legion, doing anything she could to stop them from torturing the rest of the Mojave wasteland.

"I need to go." Yes-man followed her out into the bedroom.

"So soon? I haven't told you the rest of what will need to be done to make New Vegas independent!"

"New Vegas isn't going to be independent Yes-man." Quickly snatching up her heels from off the floor near the bed, Ellen ran into the bathroom and grabbed Benny's note.

"Oh. Well that is truly a shame. Don't stay away too long Ellen!" She hurried out onto the hall and after impatiently waiting a minute for the elevator to finally arrive, she was running through the casino floor, which was quieter on the mornings. People preferred the theatre or the restaurant around this time. Ellen ran into the lobby, quickly collecting her laser rifle and spare 10mm pistol she had handed in when first coming into the Tops, from Swank - Benny's _right hand guy_ as he called it. She liked him, he was chatty with her, knew exactly how to make her smile. It was uncomfortable carrying weapons around when all dressed up, but she had learnt from spending weeks in Freeside, you always had to watch your back. Someone was always ready with the knife and that was just the way things were in New Vegas. She doubted it'd ever change.

She hadn't even fully stepped out of the Tops before she was approached by a man dressed in a dark suit, accompanied with a top hat. Without properly looking at him, Ellen shooed him away figuring he was just one of the many salesmen that hung around on the streets of the Strip, selling anything and everything. "Sorry, I can't talk, I've got somewhere to be-" She murmured, continuing towards the Lucky 38.

"The eyes of the mighty Caesar are upon you."

"...What?" Ellen turned round, not sure what she had just heard and could only describe the feeling as complete and utter horror when she saw _Vulpes_ standing behind her. She turned to leave, not wanting any more to do with him, but he grabbed hold of her arm, forcing her to look at him again.

"He admires your accomplishments and bestows upon you an exceptional gift, of his mark. Any crimes you may have perpetrated against the legion are hereby forgiven. Caesar will not extend this mercy a second time. My lord requires your presence at his camp at fortification hill. His mark will guarantee your safe conduct into our lands..." Vulpes gave her a necklace with some latin phrase engraved on it. "Incidentally, it will interest you to know that the man you seek has fled the Strip, and is likely making haste for Caesar's camp as we speak."

"H-How did you find me here?"

"I am the greatest of Caesar's Frumentarii. It was not a challenge to find you. Nor is this my first visit to the Strip." Vulpes answered, keeping a tight grip around her arm.

"What are the Frumentarri?" All this latin, Ellen had no idea what any of it meant.

"We are soldiers of a different stripe, capable in battle, but skilled as infiltrators and agents as well."

"...Is that how you know about Benny?"

"Yes. Little escapes the notice of Caesar's legion. We know a great deal about the Vegas strip, and the comings and goings of those who frequent it." If they knew about Benny, they'd also know that he had the platinum chip. If they got hold of that... _Damn it Benny!_

"Why does Caesar want to see me?" She asked.

"Go to him, and you will understand. Seek Caesar by way of Cottonwood Cove, south of Nelson. The Cursor Lucullus will be waiting." Vulpes let go of her arm. "I shall let Caesar know you are on your way to fortification hill. I look forward to your arrival." Ellen watched him disappear into the crowds of early morning gamblers, beggars, drunks, and NCR soldiers who were out in the Strip, her arm burning from where Vulpes had held it so tightly. Wrapping the necklace she was given around the handle of her laser rifle, Ellen continued through the gate to the Lucky 38.

She had been told that it had been closed to the public for over a hundred years, no one knew what was inside. Victor was waiting for her at the door. He had told her the night before, when she arrived in the Strip to go straight inside to see Mr. House. She was so interested in finding Benny that she told him she would be there later. Why didn't she just listen and go see House first? Victor led her into the Lucky 38 and it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was like looking at a photograph, a moment captured in time, completely untouched by the great war. Every slot machine, every chair, table, even the alcohol, everything exactly how it was when the casino had first opened. The elevator took two minutes to get up to the penthouse. A securitron named Jane welcomed Ellen and showed her to where House was waiting for her.

She wasn't quite sure what to expect when first meeting House but she was completely confused to see that he wasn't even a real person. Instead, he was a large computer screen that displayed an image of some man who she supposed was once House, two securitrons positioned at either side of it. "The point of me inviting you to visit me here at the Lucky 38 before stomping into the Tops on your own was to help you prepare - tactically." Ellen had been waiting for this. She figured he was going to be annoyed. "Now, because of your carelessness, Benny has fled the Strip, taking with him the platinum chip." She had heard that three times today. She knew she had made a mistake, she didn't need another reminder. "Well...this meeting has been a long time in coming...longer still, since you took time to charge into the Tops before coming to see me."

Ellen remained silent as he belittled her, making her feel even worse about letting Benny go. "So, before we down to details, I must ask - now that you've arrived at your destination, what do you make of what you see?" She was irritated by House's arrogance, but wasn't going to lie and say she wasn't amazed by the Strip and everything about it. The crowded casinos, fancy hotels, partying, booze, hookups, she had never experienced this way of living before. She loved it.

"I've never seen anything like this place." Ellen answered, knowing House was probably smiling to himself, taking all the credit for the success of the Strip.

"Vegas was always one of a kind. What you see down on the Strip is just a fraction of the city's former glory, and yet...more than an echo. I preserved its spirit. Or perhaps you were referring to the Lucky 38? The years haven't been kind to her, but she still manages to impress...Anyway, enough of that. Ready to get down to business?"

"As in business you mean you want me to go to the fort, use the platinum chip to activate whatever's stored away in the underground bunker and then bring the chip back to you."

"Precisely. You will use the platinum chip to gain access into the bunker. There'll be a hatch - You'll know what I mean when you get there. Then, once you're inside, my network will connect to the mainframe there and I will direct you on what to do next. Retrieving the chip shouldn't be too difficult I imagine, I doubt Benny will still be in possession of it once you arrive at the fort and whatever happens to him afterwards, is up to you. However, if he does so happen to have it I expect you to retrieve it from him by any means necessary." That should have sounded simple enough, killing Benny, because she knew that was the only way he was giving up the chip. But the fact that it didn't was something she'd have to deal with when she got to the fort. "Do that, deliver the chip back to me and good things will come your way."

The image of House disappeared and the words _connection lost_ appeared on the large computer screen. So long as she got the chip back to House, what happened afterwards didn't concern her. Ellen took the elevator back down to the Casino floor, planning to change into something that wasn't a dress, get Rex from Freeside and then begin travelling south towards Cottonwood Cove.

She left the Lucky 38, and inevitably, people had saw her walk into the casino and now they were stood in a crowd at the bottom of the 38's entrance watching her leave, unable to believe their eyes, breaking into a burst of gossip between each other, dying to know what she was doing in there, who was Mr. House really, what was going on. Everything had came all at once. Benny, Yes-man, the Legion, House, and now she was the talk of the city. Everyone would know who she was, know who she was connected to. She just needed to get the fort and get this over with...


	3. The one with the ferry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And since I'm away travelling next week, here is chapter three. As always, hope you enjoy it and have a brilliant day :))

**_Ellen_ **

She hated walking through Freeside. The town was a slum. Thugs roamed the streets, some immediately coming at you with a rusty pocket knife or a scavenged revolver, the more logical ones pretending that there was an emergency, leading you down a dark alleyway where the only exit was same way you came in. Ellen never fell for it though, she knew better than to follow some jacked on jet, high-strung stranger who claimed their friend was bleeding out behind an abandoned, bordered up building.

Freeside was controlled mainly by the Kings. She liked them. They were good people and did what was best for the town. Ellen had helped them in their spat with the NCR and that's what led to the King giving her Rex. When she had first met him about a month ago, he introduced to her to Rex and explained his condition. She immediately accepted to taking him to Jacobstown where the doctor there would perform a brain swap, after Rex's original brain was damaged and beginning to fail. It took them a day to travel up into the mountains, but Rex was treated and when Ellen came back to the King to tell her the good news, he had said she could have any favour from him for her, but only one. She could have gotten a passport, not a counterfeit one she eventually bought from Mick and Ralph's, to get into the Strip, she could have even joined the Kings, making her the first female member, the King had also offered her thousands of caps, but instead she asked to keep Rex.

The Kings had laughed at her, joked that she was crazy to pass up such offers, but she didn't care. She had a cyber-dog and they never, so who was the real winner there?

Ellen had also became friendly with the Followers of the Apocalypse from the Old Mormon Fort. She helped their leader, Julie Farkas, put a stop to the drug dealing going on in Freeside and regularly gave them any extra stimpacks and radaways she had found scavenging in the Mojave. Ellen had then met Arcade Gannon, a researcher for the followers and they instantly clicked. He shared her humour, her hatred for the Legion, her want to help people. He was one of very few people Ellen fully trusted, someone she could talk to about anything, rant, cry, laugh, she was completely comfortable around him.

Walking into the impersonation school, she was welcomed by Kings on duty. Rex was sat by the desk, his head turning to the noise of the door opening and excitedly jumping up to greet her. "Hey Rex..." Ellen knelt down to stroke him. "You okay boy?" She glanced up at Pacer stood beside the performing hall door, his arms folded with a frown. Every time she came to see the King, he'd try and wind her up, contradicting everything she said, constantly telling her that the Kings didn't need some woman working alongside them. Ellen wondered why he was so bitter all the time, what his problem was with her.

In no of sort mood for his crap, she left quickly, Rex following at her heels.

They left through the east gate, and began heading south down the main road that would take her past Novac, then to Cottonwood Cove. It wasn't the safest route, but it was definitely the quickest and Ellen hoped she could get to the fort and back by the next morning. It probably wouldn't end up that way though. She didn't know what to expect when she got there, it made her nervous thinking about it. Why did Caesar even want to see her? Vulpes had said he was impressed by her achievements, but she wondered what they were supposed to be. All Ellen had done was continuously set back their efforts at expanding the Legion throughout the Mojave, killing countless legionary soldiers along the way with so little compassion.

Ellen felt terrible about it, she never liked killing anyone, not really, but understood that sometimes, killing was the only way.

After walking for about an hour, they passed Novac, the hot weather at its peak as it reached midday. The road they were travelling on had been quiet, they hadn't came across anything too threatening, just the occasional gecko or bloatfly. They didn't have far to go now, just a stretched out walk until the first left. Where was she supposed to go when she got to Cottonwood Cove? Ellen knew that Cursor - Whatever that meant - Lucullus would be waiting for her, but where was he going to be? Would Rex be allowed to go with her? She hoped so. And what about when she arrived at the Fort? Were they going to take all her weapons and things away? Was Benny going to be there? More importantly, did he still have the platinum chip? Or did Caesar now have it? Her heart pounding from the sudden anxiety, Ellen stopped for a minute to calm herself down. All she had to do, was follow House's instructions and she'd be out of there in no time.

Ever since waking up with temporary memory loss in Goodsprings three months ago after being shot, Ellen had been struggling with random spells of panic, overthinking, flashbacks of the things she'd tried so hard to forget. She had told some people about it, Doc Mitchell, Arcade, but never really admitted to them the true severity of it. She didn't need to, it didn't matter.

They continued for a bit longer until she saw the left turn up ahead, and told Rex to stay close to her as they made their way down the steep, uneven hill. Cottonwood Cove was at the bottom of it, next to the Colorado river. Crucifixion crosses were scattered around the hilly landscape, some with people tied on them. Ellen had to look away. As they got to the bottom of the hill, and approached the legionary camp, soldiers stopped what they were doing to look at her, all knowing exactly who she was. Then their eyes were on Rex, probably wondering why so much time had been wasted on keeping him alive, because in their eyes he was nothing but a hound dog.

The camp was busy. Caravans were coming in and out, but these ones weren't from the Crimson Caravan Company ran by Alice McLafferty, they were mercenary being paid to supply the Legion. There were also slavers, bringing people in to sell. The Legion's slave master was stood by a cage, watching over a family of three dressed in rags, as he handed over payment to the hooded slaver who had just brought them in. Her attention was then on a rather unattractive legionary wearing a gold helmet with big red feathers sticking out at the top, walking towards her. He had his hand on his sword ready to draw it, like she was going to try something in the middle of their camp, completely surrounded. Rex immediately barked in disapproval of the helmet. "Ave, courier. I am Centurion Aurelius of Phoenix, the leading commander here at Cottonwood Cove." He noticed the necklace Vulpes gave her hanging from the handle of her laser rifle. "I see you have the mark of Caesar, you needn't not fear, your safety in our land is promised. You will find Cursor Lucullus waiting for you on pier."

"Thanks..." Ellen walked up onto the pier where Lucullus was waiting for her. He was good-looking, well built, tall, dark hair and eyes, pale - she wondered how he hadn't caught any of the sun. The Nevada summer was horrendous, temperatures sky rocketed so did the cost of water, the wind became non-existent and the worst part was, they still had another two months of it before Autumn began to set in. Even then, it was still no better.

"Ave, I am Cursor Lucullus, and my orders are to escort you to the Legion's camp at Fortification hill."

"Do you know what'll happen at the fort?" She asked, swinging her rifle over her shoulder.

"You'll be meeting face-to-face with the mighty Caesar himself, founder of the Legion, conqueror of 86 tribes. To my knowledge, this is the first time Caesar has ever summoned one of the Dissolute to see him. That it'd be a woman is even more surprising."

"Who are you calling _Dissolute_?"

"All who are not Legion are Dissolute. They live in squalor, unrestrained by morality, lacking moderation, temper, and self-control. Their very existence is a blight on the common good. Even worse are the Profligates, the sub-type of Dissolute one finds this side of the river. They hold themselves to be civilised, when in fact they are corrupt and self-interested. The truth will be made clear to them soon enough." Did he hear himself? Ellen scoffed. If anyone was fucking dissolute it was the Legion. They were deluded, this bigot was the perfect example.

"Why are you surprised to see a woman to receive this honour?" He looked at her as if to say what sort of question is that.

"Women are physically and intellectually inferior to men. Their role is to bear children and ensure the survival of our species. Not to say that all women are equally incapable. I trust Caesar will find a worthy use for you." She knew it was coming. The sexist remark, labelled inferior, seen as a possession, had she mentioned how much she _hated_ the Legion? "So, are you ready to head upriver?" Lucullus asked her.

"So long as my dog can come with me." He stared down at Rex for a minute.

"Will the water affect his condition?"

"It shouldn't."

"Very well. The trip will take a few hours-"

"A few hours?!"

"Yes, now take your seat, Caesar doesn't like to be kept waiting."

For thirty minutes they never spoke. Rex had fell asleep in the middle of the boat a few minutes after they left the pier, while she uncomfortably sat with her knees pulled to her chest, looking anywhere but at Lucullus. Ellen hoped he'd at least say something, she couldn't care less if all he did was go on about the Legion, anything would be better than the silence. "...Are you always this quiet?" She decided to ask.

"Are you?" He replied, keeping his eyes on the river. Ellen watched him for a minute before moving to sit closer to him.

"Do you do this boat trip everyday?"

"Yes. Many times throughout the day. " She wondered how he had the patience.

"Do you enjoy it?"

"It doesn't make a difference if I do or I don't."

"Why do something if you don't like it though?" This time, Lucullus looked at her, not for long, just a quick glance up and down.

"I never said I didn't like it."

"It looks that way." Ellen said, turning back to check on Rex. "Have you ever been to the Strip?"

"Once, it's nothing special. I fail to understand why so many want to travel to a city devoted to vice and sin." Ellen laughed. That was rich coming from him, a soldier of a group that was the very symbol of sin.

"...So, you don't like your job or the Strip. Is there anything you _do_ like?"

"I like you not talking."

"Hey." A hint of a smirk appeared on his face, but he quickly turned his focus back on the river.

They talked on and off for the rest of the trip. It was usually her asking him questions which he replied to with mostly just a yes or a no, but Ellen found herself kind of liking him in a way. She'd never had a full conversation with anyone from the Legion. After seeing what they did to Nipton, she didn't want to. She wasn't interested in listening to them justify their actions, there was never any right reason to slaughter hundreds of innocent people. But sometimes it made Ellen wonder whether they were just following orders, whether they were just part of the Legion for protection rather than their ideals, none of them admitting it in fear that they would be killed for speaking out. Either that or they were all lunatics.

As they approached the fort, Ellen began to feel uneasy again, the nervous feeling from before returning to her stomach. What had she got herself into?


	4. The one where she meets Caesar

**_Ellen_ **

"Caesar awaits you in his tent. You have license to find your own way." Lucllus told her, as they entered the fort.

"You're not coming with me?" Ellen asked as she looked up at the main camp of the fort at the top of the hill.

"No, I'll be waiting here to ferry you back to the western shore when your visit has concluded." He answered, watching her while she figured out which way to go. "It's to the right and straight up the hill until you get to the main drawbridge. The guard there will point you in the direction of Caesar."

"Right, thank you." Ellen turned to leave, but the guard at the main gate stopped her.

"By order of Caesar, all visitors must disarm and relinquish all banned items. Hand over any weapons, alcohol, and chems including stimpacks and other addictive items you may be carrying." They didn't expect her to agree to that, did they? She looked at Lucullus and he nodded for her to give her things to the guard.

"If you come in peace, then there is no reason not to disarm. You will not be harmed unless Caesar wills it." Reluctantly, Ellen swung her laser rifle off her shoulder and passed it to the guard, along with the 10mm from her hip. Ellen kept the spare 9mm pistol that was hidden in her jacket, and the combat knife strapped to her leg. She told him she didn't have any chems which he believed, but she had a few stimpacks in her pocket, just in case. The guard let her go and she and Rex walked towards the hill where Lucullus had directed her. The fort was expansive, stretching all the way across the high ground it was built on. There were dozens of crosses up, skeletons hanging from most of them, blood absorbed deep into the chipped wood. A group of boys ran past her, dressed up in legionary armour, chatting in latin between themselves. They must have been training to become soldiers for the legion.

Approaching the drawbridge, Ellen saw a woman in rags, a slave, pregnant, carrying a huge bag on her back and a crate in her arms. She was struggling, dragging her feet as she walked with a hunch. The praetorian guard she was with, one of the more experienced legionary soldiers, handed her another crate and opened the bridge for her to go into the main camp. The women here...They were nothing in the eyes of the Legion. Just property. It was nothing Ellen didn't already know, but seeing it first hand...There had to be an end to this.

The main camp was crowded. There were rows of tents pitched where Ellen supposed everyone slept, and slaves tended the bar and kitchen that was set up in the corner of the camp, the soldiers there stopping their drinking game to look at her and Rex before talking in latin between each other, just like they did at Cottonwood Cove. In the middle of the camp there was an arena, the guard stood by it tightly holding a wolfish looking dog by it's neck while another guard lead a line of slaves down the hill. The dog was going insane, barking, snarling and growling, obviously trained to hunt these poor people. Finally, at the very top of the hill there was Caesar's tent, guarded by only one praetorian in shades.

Keeping Rex close to her as they walked up to the tent, the praetorian stopped her. "You must enter Caesar's tent alone. Anyone else must remain outside" He told her.

"Why?"

"Caesar allows none but who he wishes to see in the tent. Your mongrel shall remain in my watch." Hesitantly, she gave him Rex and after another check to see if she was carrying no weapons, she was finally free to go in.

As soon as Ellen walked into Caesar's tent, her eyes were on Benny. He was hunched over on his knees, hands bound behind his back. He looked dishevelled, his crumpled jacket hanging off one shoulder and his tattered black tie swinging loosely around his collar like he'd been dragged through dirt. His right cheek was bruised dark purple. So was his left eyebrow, bright red blood trickling down from the open gash to his jaw. Two praetorian guards stood behind him, their rifles aimed at his head. In every corner of the tent there were guards, all armed, all eyes on her.

Ellen kept walking, Caesar waiting ahead impatiently tapping on the arm of his chair. When she thought about what Caesar would be like when she met him, she expected some tall, handsome, muscular warrior head to toe in armour, but Caesar was the complete opposite. He was middle-aged, bald, average height, build, looks, just average, dressed in flimsy red robes, completely unarmoured. He was far from any warrior Ellen had imagined. She also noticed Vulpes, who was stood beside Caesar and this older soldier. He sneered as he watched her, an ominous smirk creeping along his lips. He was back in his legionary armour, but had since abandoned the shades and coyote fur helmet.

"Well, if it isn't the courier who's been troubling my legion across the Mojave wasteland...Now you dare to come before me." She glanced at Benny again. He was already looking at her, desperately searching her face for any sort of comfort because apparently she was the closest thing he had to that. Ellen looked back at Caesar.

"The Great Khans aren't exactly clamouring to fight for my legion now, and the garrison I established at Nelson has been wiped out." And she'd do it again. She had no remorse for what she did, there was no place in the Mojave Wasteland for the Legion. "You arrived on the Strip and waltzed into the Lucky 38 like someone left you a key under the doormat. You visit the Tops, and the next thing you know, the head of the Chairmen is fleeing the Strip like a whimpering little pup. When you set your mind to something, you get results. I like that, and now the question is, are you ready to get started?"

Ellen wanted anything but to befriend the Legion, but she already knew how she was going to approach this. "Where do I begin?" Smiling, pleased with her immediate agreement to help, Caesar leaned forward in his chair towards her.

"Down the hill, at the west edge of camp, is an old building. It was here when the Fort was taken in 2277. Inside the building is a hatch, and inside that hatch are two steel doors that bear the sigil of the Lucky 38 casino." Caesar reached into his pocket and held up the chip, twirling it between his fingers. "Now that same sigil is on the Platinum Chip Benny was carrying when we captured him. Isn't that interesting?" Ellen remained silent. "Even more interesting, there's a slot about the same size as the Chip on the console that opens the hatch. So you know what I think? I think the Platinum Chip opens those doors - doors that can't be pried open or drilled open or blasted open. Because all that, I tried."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to take this chip, go into the bunker and destroy whatever's in there."

"...Sounds simple enough." Ellen answered, looking back at Benny. He didn't need to be told to know she had no intention of helping Caesar destroy what was in the bunker.

"Well that was fucking easy." Caesar chuckled. "I think I'm starting to like you, Ellen." He knew her name, of course he knew her name. Saying something in latin, Caesar handed the chip to Vulpes who then passed it to her. As he did, his hand brushed over hers, making Ellen shiver. The way he looked at her...It was as if he knew something she didn't, like he was planning something, whatever that was. She tucked the chip safely into her coat pocket. "As for Benny, because I'm sure he's one of the many reasons you're here, there are rewards for doing as I command, but we'll talk again when you've dealt with the bunker- not before. Lucius will show you to the weather monitoring station."

Ellen really didn't know how she was going to get away with following House's orders when Caesar was expecting her to do the opposite. Hopefully House would tell her more when she got there. And Benny...Well, she'd just have to get this bunker out of the way first...

**_Benny_ **

"She's perfect, isn't she Benny?" Caesar told him. "She'd do fine in repopulating the Legion don't you think? I'd maybe even keep her for myself." What a rat. It irritated him, watching all these finks eye her up from every angle. Baldie, that creepy-looking one who gave her the platinum chip, the grandpa clad in armour who took her to the bunker. Benny couldn't blame them, but boy were they winding him up. The way they talked about and treated the women here, they all ought to be ashamed of themselves. Now he wasn't saying he didn't like to joke from time to time, but these Legion boys took it too far.

He'd learnt from listening to Caesar that her name was Ellen - he liked that. And then she waltzed into the tent, her eyes immediately on him like she already knew he was going to be there. He guessed she'd find Yes-man and that cat just couldn't help but be helpful. He'd have told her everything, and then Baldie decided to invite her to the fort after hearing about her connection to House. Another finky bastard, hidden away in the 38', controlling the Strip how he pleased, bleeding people dry of everything they had. If only things would have worked out, House would have been no more and Benny'd have Vegas in the palm of his hand.

Baldie wanted Ellen to destroy what was in the bunker, but he knew she wouldn't do it, she was a player! Lied straight to Caesar's face and the spanner fell for it. Yeah she was doing it for House, but she knew how to swing!

An hour passed and Benny wondered whether she'd took off back to the Strip or something, leaving him here alone in the loony camp. He hoped not. He hated it. Tied up, surrounded by Caesar's gofers, every single one of them aiming their rifles and spears towards him like he was going to magically whip out Maria and take all fifty of them out with just eight rounds. Maybe if they all lined up he could probably get more. Unlikely, but an interesting thought. He just wanted to get out of here, but the odds of that happening were a thousand to none. There was no chance Baldie would let him live, even if Ellen decided to spare him. He wasn't sure why she'd do that though, after everything he'd done.

It was foolish to think his plan would work, but it was all just too good of an opportunity! Use some stealth boys here and there, disguise as a legionary to get through the crazies' fort and into bunker with the chip- the key to all of House's plans. Whatever he had hiding down there was Benny's golden ticket to ruling Vegas, which was until those wackos realised he wasn't a part of their Legion. Must have been the accent. They dragged him all the way here by the scuff of his neck, throwing him in front of their bozo leader. Called himself Caesar. Bald fella, old, just looked like your average common man. The creep already knew he who was, why he was there and took the platinum chip right out of his pocket.

Sure he fought back, but let's get real, he stood no chance against the roman fanatics over here.

Soon enough Baldie wanted to know what the chip could do. Of course he wasn't gonna tell them what is was for, but they were...persuasive. He could take the blows they sent to his face, but when one of the praetorians held up a sword to his neck, he soon let it slip. He could have done with some ice for his face and he might have felt a bit better if the rope cutting into his wrists was loosened, but he was alive, at least for now anyway. Benny didn't get why they didn't send someone straight into the bunker after that. Guess they were afraid of the unknown- Losers, the lot of them.

Baldie then brought up Ellen, questioning Benny on what he knew about her. He said he barely knew anything, but what else was he supposed to say? He slept with her? Because he doubted that would go down well. Baldie decided to send some soldier/spy after her, creepy looking guy, Benny didn't like the look of him one bit. He knew his pussycat could handle herself though, he didn't have to worry about a thing.

But if he was going to be honest, he was kind of dreading her see again, especially when he was all tied up like this, on his knees and made an example of. Benny wondered what she thought when she arrived. Was she happy to see him? Who was he kidding, of course she wasn't. He knew the only reason Baldie had kept him alive was so she could have her way with him. If Benny could bet, he'd put it on her finishing him off right here for everyone to see. As long as she didn't have him hoisted up onto one of those crosses or hacked to pieces like some kind of animal, he didn't really care how she did it.

Truth was, he was glad to see her alive the night she came into the Tops. After he shot her, he'd sit alone in his suite and think about what he did days and weeks after, feeling nothing but guilt when he did. Thought about whether he could have done it differently, at least had the decency to find out who she was first instead of hearing _Courier Six is in possession of the platinum chip_ and immediately rushing to Goodsprings to wait for her. Benny didn't even know the courier was a woman until the Great Khans he hired brought her to him. He didn't really do any of the practical work, just pulled the strings and watched it unfold. As she lay unconscious after taking a hard blow to the head, he took the platinum chip from her, while the Great Khans dug her grave out in the cemetery. He never liked killing women, but at the end of the day she was still the courier and if he had let her live, who knew where she would have run off to, who she'd tell. It was easier that way. Or so he thought until they ended up in bed together.

Suddenly, the ground start shaking beneath them. Caesar looked at him like it was his doing, but soon started beaming when he realised it came from the bunker. "Did you feel that Benny? Not long for you now." He didn't care, he just wanted to know what Ellen had found down in the bunker- Call it a last request. Baldie started chatting in Latin to his guards, Benny didn't have a clue what they were saying though. He'd never bothered learning Latin, he never needed to. Looking back now, maybe he should have learnt a phrase or three.

Ellen came back twenty minutes later, her eyes flickering past him as she walked up to Caesar, sat eagerly waiting to speak to her. "I felt the ground shake a while ago. I'll take that as a sign you got the job done. Now I have to ask, what did you find in there?"

"I never stopped to look." She answered, quickly glancing at him again before looking back at Caesar. The little eyes thing they had going on, he could see straight through her. Of course she knew what was in that bunker, she was just too smart to tell all these psychos. Baldie smiled at her, a real genuinely impressed smile. He really liked her, didn't he? Benny could only imagine the look on his face once he found out he'd been played all along.

"Well as I promised, destroying the bunker comes with a reward. Today, that is vengeance. You get to decide how Benny dies." Here it was, his time to shine.

One foot already in the grave, it looked like he was finally going to get what he deserved for being such a fink...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter four, why not? I just wanted to apologise for how closely Caesar's dialogue follows the in game one. I'm not going to lie, it took a while to write this chapter because of how much it followed the dialogue and I was just so eager to move on!! Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed reading and have a brilliant day!!


	5. The one where she gets to decide

**_Ellen_ **

"So, what shall it be Ellen? My praetorians will carry out the execution unless you want to perform it yourself." Caesar told her, following her gaze across the tent to Benny. It should have been easy. Everything she'd went through because of him, he deserved this. He deserved to die and he only had himself to blame for it. Ellen could try to forget, try to hide her feelings, make herself believe she was okay, tell herself she had moved on, but the more she tried, the more she'd be constantly reminded of what he did. Every 9mm pistol she saw made Ellen think of the one Benny shot her with, every gunshot she heard sent a shooting pain to her temple as if she was reliving the night all over again, but then every bit of silence took her back to the dead cemetery of Goodsprings. She just couldn't escape it.

After what happened in the Tops, Ellen told herself she wouldn't make the same mistake twice, she'd be ready this time. She wouldn't be swayed by her terrible taste in men or influenced by alcohol, she'd finish this now and get the chip back to House before Caesar figured out what she was doing. _If_ he could figure it out.

Ellen met House down in the bunker on a monitor at the entrance. He explained to her that he'd built the bunker years ago, put an army of securitrons on stand by because he'd already saw the Great War coming before it happened in 2077. House told her he had spent thousands on making the platinum chip. It could update House's whole network, allow him to upgrade his securitrons and the automated defensive systems he had used to protect Vegas from the war. Losing the chip when the bombs hit forced him to rely on an older, buggy version to control those systems during the attack, he told her. After that, House spent the last two hundred years searching the Mojave for it. When he finally located it, he had it sent to the Mojave Express and that's where she came in.

Ellen told House that Caesar wanted her to destroy the bunker and he assured her that destroying one of the power regulators in the turbine room would be enough to make Caesar believe she'd followed his orders.

Caesar questioned nothing, no one did, not even Vulpes. But then she looked at Benny and he knew. He knew she wouldn't destroy the bunker and he knew she was working with House. He knew he could have stopped that too. He took her to his suite that night, knowing he could have easily pulled his gun on her once he had her alone, but he never. It was like Benny forgot everything that happened between them before. They were just lovers and Ellen...liked that. What had he done to her?

Like Benny told her in the Tops, this wasn't forgiveness, it was something seriously wrong. She had a problem- He'd completely messed with her head and deep down, Ellen knew, she couldn't kill him. As much as she wanted to, as much as she hated him, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I want to let him go." Ellen said suddenly, her heart racing as she looked back at Caesar. For a minute he stared at her absently, glanced at Benny for a second, then looked at her again, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"What's wrong with you? This man shot you, stole from you, left you in the desert to die. After all he's done, why the fuck do you want him alive?" Ellen's temple started to ache, but she quickly dismissed it.

"Forgive and forget." She began, "Benny is nothing to you anymore. The bunker is destroyed, the chip is useless."

"...You _forgive_ him?" Caesar frowned at her, as if the idea disgusted him.

"Yes." Ellen cleared her throat as she glanced at Benny, his eyes darting back and forth from her to Caesar and then back to her, his expression completely unreadable. He must have thought she was insane. That’s if he didn’t think it already from what happened in the Tops.

"What are you planning to do once you set him free? Let him return to the Strip? Let him run back to those Chairmen of his? I never took you as the naive type Ellen, but I'll look past it this time. After all, you are a woman - naturally less intelligible." Vulpes, stood beside Caesar, snickered and it annoyed the fuck out of her.

"So what if he did return to the strip?" She asked, "The Chairmen alone don't have the numbers to take the Strip if that's what you're getting at and you surely don't think they're a threat to the Legion do you Caesar?" He scoffed, restlessly tapping on the arm of his chair, clearly irritated by her defiance. It must have infuriated him meeting someone that didn't immediately do as he told them to. Especially a woman. The _naturally less intelligible._

"You're fucking with me right? Those degenerates from the west don't even come close to the Legion. They're incomparable."

"So let him go."

**_Caesar_ **

She was good. Fuck, she was actually making him think twice with all this forgiveness bullshit. He hadn't seen it coming when she breezed into his tent- young, nice face, great tits, tight ass, perfect fucking material for any occasion, he wouldn't mind trying her out himself. But from what he'd found out, her youth and looks were simply a bonus and she wasn't the average idle bitch he always found himself in bed with. Ellen had destroyed his fucking garrison at Nelson, somehow broke the Legion’s alliance with the Great Khans and Vulpes had told him all about the scene she made in Nipton.

She had a mouth on her, dared to be sarcastic with even him. She was lucky he was in a good mood after the destruction of the bunker, but that's what he didn't understand. She'd complied with him right up until he told her she got to decide how Benny was going to die. The little side glances they were giving each other didn't go unnoticed and for a moment he wondered if Benny had lied about how well he knew her. No, Ellen wasn't that stupid. Benny was trustless and she knew that all too well.

Like Ellen had- _pointed out_ , it wouldn't make any difference to him if Benny was alive or not. And after all, she had done as he had told her, but there was never going to be any debate on that. Ellen was either going to destroy the bunker or die, simple. Thankfully, her compliance avoided that rather unnecessary situation and now he was eager to get down to business with the courier who'd completely fucked over his Legion. The perfect wild card.

**_Ellen_ **

Caesar sat back in his chair with a smirk, his arms folded, one hand resting under his chin while he thought.

After a long minute, he looked back at her. "You need to work on your bloodthirst Ellen. My mind ceases to understand why you'd ever want Benny alive but if you insist on it, consider this the first of many- bestowments." Caesar nodded at the praetorian behind Benny who dragged him off the ground and shoved him towards Ellen in the middle of the tent. Their eyes met, but she quickly broke it off, staring anxiously at the floor as Caesar began talking again. “As for you, ever cross my Legion again and I'll have you crucified for my own amusement. Be grateful for this second chance, others wouldn't give your death a second thought...Take him down to the main gate, I want to talk to Ellen alone.” Caesar told Lucius, his glare still on Benny.

“As you wish my lord.” Lucius swiftly pulled out the machete from his belt and stepped forward, smiling as he gazed down at Ellen, before turning his attention to Benny. "Utter a word and you’ll lose a limb.” Lucius told him, forcefully pushing him towards the exit. Ellen avoided looking up, all she could feel was...guilt. She reassured herself with the fact that she now had the chip. She’d give it to House and finally finish her contract with the Mojave Express. Ellen didn't know it yet, but it wasn't going to be as simple as that. Nothing ever was.

"Let’s press on, shall we?” Caesar continued. “As I was telling you before, I want Mr. House out of the picture. Now that his _gadgets_ beneath the fort are gone, he will be preparing to strike back and that makes him a problem. You know where to find him, how good his security is. How he dies, I leave up to you.”

"...What happens when he's dead?”

"You return to me immediately. There will be much to discuss, but until House has been dealt with, I have nothing more to say."

"Consider it done." Caesar smiled back at her, pleased with her enthusiasm.

"I look forward to it Ellen." He let her leave his tent and taking Rex from the guard outside, Ellen hurried down the small slope into the main camp, wanting to be as far away from the fort as possible. She didn't intend to come back anytime soon, she had got what she came for-

"Leaving without a farewell?" A familiar hand grabbed hold of her arm, sending an ice cold shiver down her spine.

"What do you want?" Ellen asked, a tremor in her voice as she looked up at Vulpes, a wry grin on his face as he stared back.

“I want to congratulate you. The loathing you showed for my cause at Nipton created a great scepticism over your abilities and had me not prepared for your immediate compliance today. After the destruction of the bunker, Caesar sees you as an asset to the Legion, as do I, even if you did let Benny live.” With a smirk, he leaned down towards her, lowering his voice. “Don’t worry, your secret's safe with me." Her heart racing as a thousand thoughts hit her at once, Ellen opened her mouth to speak, but only a jumble of stuttered words came out. Vulpes pressed a cold finger to her lips hushing her, his face an inch away from hers. "Like I told you in the Strip, little escapes the notice of the Legion."

"...It meant nothing." She hissed, trying to jerk her arm back, but he wouldn't let go.

"So you tell yourself."

"Fuck you." Ellen spat, clawing at his hand. She didn't understand how he knew about her and Benny, she didn't want to. "Let go of me."

“Ooh, this temper of yours, it’s rather attractive.” Vulpes stared down at her lips, licking his own like the dog he was.

“You’re disgusting.” Suddenly, he released her arm, the bruise from where he had held it before aching.

"Vale, Ellen." Vulpes smiled for the last time and left, walking back up the slope towards Caesar's tent, never looking back at her. Ellen kept her eyes on the floor as they teared up with anger making her vision turn blurry, as she rushed past the kitchen where the legionaries off duty were still stood drinking and ran over the drawbridge, down the steep hill past the group of legionary boys who were still training and towards the main gate where Lucullus was waiting for her with Lucius and _Benny_. 

“Ellen, are you ready to return to Cottonwood Cove?” Lucullus asked with furrowed eyebrows, as he watched her hurry past him and collect her weapons from the main gate guard.

“Yes." She murmured, unable to bring herself to look at Benny because if she did...She just needed to get back to the Strip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought I’d try something different and write from Caesar’s point of view, but I hope you enjoyed it and as always have an amazing day!!


	6. The one where they travel back to the Strip

**_Ellen_ **

Guards were already waiting for them when they got back to Cottonwood Cove. The leading commander, Centurion Aurelius of something, Ellen had forgotten his full title, approached them on the pier with four other praetorians, his sword drew, an abhorred glare on Benny. "Not only does Caesar allow a profligate to bear his mark, he is talked into releasing another. What is the world coming to?" Appalled, he frowned down at Ellen. "The mighty Caesar is never swayed, not by even the highest ranked superiors, never mind a woman of the west, the most negligible of them all. _You_ must be remarkable." Narrowing his eyes, he turned his attention back to Benny. “You may have helped our cause courier, but what are you hoping to gain from setting this degenerate free?”

“Nothing.” She murmured, watching Benny stand beside Lucullus, his hands still tied tightly behind his back and the cut on his eyebrow still bleeding; he was going to need stitches- Ellen was sure she had some psychological problem. She couldn’t understand why she was feeling sorry for him, but she fucking hated herself for it.

“Well if it were up to me I’d have him put on a cross at the entrance of the Cove for every legionary, caravan and slaver to see, but by order of Caesar he is to be released and banished from our lands.” Disgusted, he turned to a praetorian behind him who swiftly pulled out a combat knife and cut Benny’s wrists free, before pushing him towards her. “You are free to leave Courier, but know we won’t hesitate when he’s foolish enough to betray you again.”

...She needed to get out of here.

Thanking Lucullus for taking her to the fort and back, Ellen quickly walked ahead with Rex down the pier and through the now quiet Cottonwood Cove, knowing she was as good as dead when the Legion found out she’d been lying to them, but she was going to be well away when they did. “We’ll follow the road back up North past Novac, it should be quiet that way.” She told Benny, not looking back at him as they walked up the hill, clear of Legionary soldiers.

“...Are we gonna talk about what happened back there Pussycat?” He caught up to walk beside her.

“No.” Ellen muttered, continuing up the hill, uninterested in listening to whatever bullshit excuse he had ready for her. Everything that happened was his fault and she didn’t want to be a part of it for any longer.

“Baby you saved my life! I would have ended up on a cross if you hadn’t showed up! How can I repay you for this? Whatever you want, I’ll do it.” Ellen ignored him, turning right onto the pitch black road, a pack of coyotes howling in the distance. “Come on baby, don’t give me the silent treatment-“

“Benny just leave it. I’m tired enough as it is, I just want to get back to the Strip.” She turned on her pipboy’s flashlight and an hour later they passed the 188 trading post where Ellen could see the bright lights of the Strip, beams of neon illuminating up into the sky. You could see them from miles. When she was still staying in Goodsprings, Ellen would watch them and wonder what the Strip was like. She’d asked people in Goodsprings about it but they hated the place and told her it was a complete waste of caps. Then she met Ringo, a trader from the crimson caravan company. She helped him deal with the powdergangers who’d attacked his caravan and he taught her how to play a few casino games. Three beers and a gunfight later, she slept with him once, maybe twice in the Gas station, but it was nothing serious, they both knew that. She wasn’t interested in relationships, she hadn’t been for a long time. They left Goodsprings together the next day and parted ways at Primm. He went North back to the caravan company and she travelled South towards Novac. Nearly three months had passed since then.

It was around midnight, but the temperature hadn’t dropped a single bit. Tying her coat around her waist, Ellen considered stopping off for the night, she was exhausted, Rex needed some rest too and she figured Benny wouldn’t have slept since leaving for the Fort. Despite it, they kept going until they reached Freeside’s north gate.

Ellen left Rex at the impersonation school with the kings at the front desk, she was really going to have to get her own place, and left back through the doors where Benny was waiting for her on the cracked pavement, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets. He looked up at her, his mouth open like he was about to say something, but she quickly ran down the stairs past him, hurrying towards the Strip.

“Baby I get it, I’ve been bad to you and you’re angry but I’m sorry, really I am.” She didn’t want to talk, what didn’t he get about that? "You gonna keep ignoring me or are we gonna sort this out?" Ellen kept walking down the dimly lit path, the securitrons ahead firing down a thug too close to the gate, the gun shot ringing in her ear as she watched the thin smoke from the lifeless body swirl up and disappear into the warm air. Her attention was then on music echoing from inside the Strip and people, screaming, shouting and singing, so loud their lungs might collapse.

“Welcome ma’am.” A securitron greeted her as another one dragged the thug’s corpse away. “Please enjoy your stay in the heart of the Mojave Wasteland, the New Vegas Strip.” The gate screeched open and Ellen walked in, moving through the crowds of drunk soldiers, gamblers and hookers from the Gomorrah towards the Lucky 38 where she could see Victor stood at the entrance waiting for her.

“Howdy Ellen, fine evening ain't it?” She didn't answer him. “You okay pardner? You look like you could use a sarsaparilla.”

“I’m fine.” She snapped, immediately feeling bad for taking her mood out on Victor.

“Well alright then, the boss is waiting upstairs, he sure is pleased with ya work today.”

“Yeah...”

”Oh and lookie there Ellen, it seems ya got an admirer.” Ellen glanced over her shoulder at the bottom of the 38’s entrance where Benny was stood, brazenly looking back at her. “Hey, isn’t that the fancy pants who put two bullets in your brain back in Goodsprings?” Victor chuckled. “Well ain’t he looking tatty.”

“...I’ll be back in a minute.” She said quietly, walking back down the 38’s entrance to Benny. “Look, I don’t know why I let you go, maybe I’ve got something wrong with me, maybe I haven’t, but I just- I couldn’t leave you there...” Ellen kept her stare on the floor as she continued talking. “House has hundreds of securitrons in the bunker. They’re all upgraded and he wants to do the same with the ones here on the Strip.” She told him, unsure why she was, but she was unsure of why she did most things nowadays. “With the chip he can update his entire network and the Lucky 38’s defensive systems...I need to give it back to him.“

“No, baby you don't want to do that, not without hearing what I gotta say first."

“Benny-“ He cut her off.

“House is a tyrant Pussycat, he's unhinged. Sure he was cool back in his day, but he isn't like that anymore."

“The chip is his.”

“And that makes Vegas his too, forever? You think that’s fair? I know it's hard for you to trust me after what I did, but I promise you, I ain’t lying about this. You have the chance to do something amazing here! Vegas is in your hands baby, please, meet me in the Tops tomorrow night, let me explain everything. Maybe if you know the facts, you'll realise Vegas needs a change in management." This was supposed to be simple. Activate the bunker and get the chip back to Mr House, why was he making everything so fucking difficult? She glanced up at Victor waiting for her at the doors of the 38’.

“I can’t Benny, House is waiting for me.“

“Come on baby, I owe this to you.” He told her. “If you don’t agree then you can give the chip to House, but you gotta see this from more than one angle dig? If Kingpin up there can wait a thousand years after the bombs fell for the platinum chip then he can hold out one more night.”

...She hated him. She hated him more than anything.

“What time?" A smile appeared on his face. Ellen couldn’t tell if it was genuine, but she was in no position to question his sincerity. She’d lied to Caesar about the bunker and suddenly she felt nervous as she thought about Vulpes and what he knew.

_Little escapes the notice of the Legion..._

"You're _the_ ring a ding Pussycat, ten sharp, don't be late or I'll think the worst." Ellen nodded, staring up at the cut on his eyebrow. The bleeding had stopped, but it was going to take a while to heal. “You got some place to stay tonight?” He asked.

“Yeah I- Yeah.” She had a rickety camp bed that she shared with Arcade in the Old Mormon Fort, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Well incase you change your mind, here, take the key to the Presidential - the best suite in the Tops. Stay as long as you like, it’s the least I can do after what you’ve been through for me.” Benny passed her a key from his jacket pocket and she could have sworn there was a glint of guilt in his eyes as he looked back at her, lowering his voice. “Thank you for what you did today baby, really. This spirit of forgiveness you're showing me, it’s enough to make a player rethink what it means to win.”

Anxiously clearing her throat, she avoided eye contact and began untying her coat from around her waist. “Yeah well, just make sure you get stitches for that cut on your face.” He smiled again, but Ellen never saw it.

“Will do Pussycat.” He turned to leave towards the second gate, back to the Tops. “Ciao.”

Ciao...

Looking back up at Victor, Ellen sighed, more of a dejected sound, before she turned the opposite way and left back through the Strip’s main gate to Freeside.

_House could wait one more night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I’m so grateful for all the hits and kudos I’ve got for this fic, it really makes my day. This chapter was a little shorter than the others but I am very excited to share chapter 7 with you, ahhh the drama :DD


	7. The one with the second chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I deleted this to remerge the two chapters together again to how I originally had it because I wasn't really feeling chapter 7 the way it was. Then...I changed it back. Feel free to skip to this chapter if you happen to have read it already. :))

**_Benny_ **

“Ah shit.” Benny pulled on his jacket, wincing at the stiff ache in his shoulder. He was sure some joints had came out of their sockets after being thrown around like luggage at the Fort, but he wasn't gonna start complaining about it. He’d been given a second chance and hell was he grateful.

Benny didn’t know how she did it. Those Legion boys were adamant he was going up on a cross, but then Ellen, this woman whose life he’d completely screwed over walked in and managed to talk Caesar into letting him live. He’d never understand what he did to deserve such forgiveness, because he didn’t. Ellen was platinum, all the way and it only made him feel even worse about the whole ploy.

It was selfish asking her to hear him out, but he knew what was at stake here. If she gave House that chip, she’d have gotten hurt for nothing. There wasn’t a bad bone in this gal’s body and if he could just make her see how twisted House truly was, Vegas could really be something. But that wasn't going to happen without her.

Briskly styling his hair in the half-cracked mirror, Benny checked to see how the stitches on his eyebrow were holding up. He’d done them himself, slipped into the Tops when everyone was too busy yapping in the lobby or high rolling on the casino floor to notice him and went straight up into his suite. He’d passed on learning basic first aid, figured he’d never need it. He figured he wouldn’t need a lot of things and yet again he’d figured wrong. Another loser’s mistake from the big-leaguer he so claimed to be.

Benny caught the elevator to the main floor, keeping his head down to hide the fact he’d been beaten up like he was some wussy pushover. He ran a casino, he couldn’t be seen like that. Heading into the lobby, he glanced up at the clock. Ten to ten, a little early.

“Eesh, what happened to you?” Swank glanced up from reading some report on the Tops.

“Good to see you too Swank.” Benny walked over to him, leaning on the side of the desk with his forearm.

“You make a pass at some broad from the Gomorrah, you look a right state.”

“No, and it ain’t nothing I can’t take care of.” Swank handed him the report he was reading.

“Sure boss sure, so what’s swinging with you?”

“I’m meeting with this gal, discussing some business, do you know her? Platinum hair, this tall, she came in here a couple of nights ago.”

“You’re talking about Ellen right? The doll who waltzed into the Lucky 38, everyone knows her. Real heart-stopper if you ask me.”

“Yeah?” Benny quickly flicked through the papers, and signed his name at the end, before passing them back to Swank. He didn’t need to read them, the Tops was doing just fine.

“Definitely. Seems like a fun gal to hang with, but yesterday morning she came running through here in a real hurry. I asked her if she was alright but she wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat dig? Don’t know what she was doing in the Tops so early, but I just assumed she’d hooked up with some guy up in his room.”

“Lucky fella whoever he was.” Benny muttered, looking over his shoulder at the lobby doors as they swung open. About five or six gamblers stumbled in, but no sign of Ellen.

“You’re telling me.” Swank collected the papers together and stepped out from behind the desk. “Anyway, I gotta run these up to maintenance, but I’ll catch you later...Enjoy your date.”

Date. Benny scoffed. This here was a serious opportunity to change Vegas for the better and that didn’t mean he never liked the thought of dating Ellen, he’d made that clear in the note he left for her, but he doubted she was interested in him after everything that happened. If tonight worked out, Benny figured it would be strictly business and nothing more.

After a minute, he looked up at the clock again, near enough ten.

**_Ellen_ **

The shower was cold. Ellen let the water gush down her body, while she worked a flowery smelling oil into her hair. The Old Mormon Fort didn’t have anywhere for her to clean herself properly, so she’d came to the Impersonation School instead and thankfully, the King let her use their restroom. Briskly rinsing her hair off, Ellen stepped out of the shower and checked the time on her Pip-boy, whilst reaching for a towel. Half-nine, shit.

Quickly drying her hair enough until it was damp, she pulled on her underwear, not needing a bra and yanked the dress she was going to wear over her head. It was a silky black material, tight on her body, stopping halfway up her thigh with a plunging neckline and an open back. It was skimpy, barely a dress by the Ultra-Luxe’s standards, but Ellen didn’t care, she wasn’t wearing it to impress.

She got the King’s stylist to blow-dry and straighten her hair, but by that time it was quarter to ten and she still had to get her heels from the Old Mormon Fort, which she’d forgot to bring with her. Running barefoot through the Impersonation School, Ellen was side-stepping down the dark Freeside road towards the fort, being mindful not to stand on any shards of glass scattered about or stumble over a dead body along the way.

Arcade was writing notes in between typing on the terminal when she rushed into the tent, bending down to check under the camp bed for her heels. “Hey Arcade have you seen my heels, you know those black ones?”

“Got em’ here.” He held up her heels in his hand, turning in his chair to look at her. “Oh that’s right, you have your interview at the Gomorrah today.”

“What? I don’t have any interview-“ Ellen looked up at Arcade from the floor, his lips pressed together with a smirk as he eyed her dress, and quickly caught on to what he was implying. “Hey, it’s all I have.”

“I’m kidding, you look pretty, heading to the Strip?” He passed Ellen her heels and moved to sit down beside her on the bed while she put them on.

“Yeah, I’m meeting someone there.”

“Who?”

“Just an old friend, they’re coming in from California for a few days.” She lied. Ellen had told Arcade about Benny and what happened at Goodsprings, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him the rest of it, he’d probably declare her psychotic or something. It definitely wasn’t normal, to sleep with your killer and then let them go when given the chance to even the score. Twice.

And then she was meeting with Benny tonight, why did she even agree to in the first place? She’d listen to what he had to say, but she wasn’t there to mess around with him. Ellen would do it right this time, but then it occurred to her that she’d said the same thing at the Fort.

Dismissing that for now, Ellen checked the time on her pipboy again, ten to ten, she needed to go. Setting the pipboy down on the desk, Ellen told Arcade she’d be back later and before he could ask any more questions, left the Fort and walked back down the road towards the colourful lights of the Strip.

It wasn’t wise walking around unarmed and alone at night, but Ellen moved fast, her heels clicking in the midst of the unsettling silence of Freeside and got to the main gate quickly, the securitron there greeting her the same way it had the night before and the noise of the Strip becoming a comfort in a way. People were just here to enjoy themselves and it’s what Ellen hoped she could do once all of this was over.

Avoiding the half drunk advances from the men stood outside the Gomorrah, Ellen walked through the second gate of the Strip, watching a group of gamblers ahead laugh together as they went into the Tops.

The chairman outside held the door open for her and smiling, she thanked him as she stepped into the Tops lobby and like the Fort, her eyes were almost immediately on Benny. He was stood at the desk, wearing his newly washed checkered suit, already looking back at her, his lips curling into a smile as his eyes moved up and down her body.

“Hey Pussycat, good to see you again.” He walked over to her, waving away the chairmen guards waiting to weapon search her. “You look amazing baby, ready to go?”

“Yeah, okay.” He smiled at her again and Ellen quickly averted her eyes to the lobby’s carpet, suddenly flustered as she nervously pulled down her dress, knowing it wasn’t making any difference.

“This way toots.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m going to be taking a break from writing since gcse results day is tomorrow and I need to get ready for enrolment. Updates may become less frequent because I’ll have less free time, but I’ve got a good idea of how this fic is going to go up until like chapter 12 so it’s good for now!! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you have an amazing day:))


	8. The one with all the talking

**_Ellen_ **

It made her feel anxious being in the Tops again. She never even expected to be in the Strip after the Fort, once she gave the chip back to House she was meaning to travel back to California to see her parents. Ellen hadn't seen them since she left their home in Arroyo out of the blue five years ago. Her dad was a doctor from Vault 13 and her mom was a survivor from Arroyo when the Enclave attacked it in 2242. Ellen had heard the story a thousand times, the Enclave needed people for their FEV experiments and Arroyo was an easy target. They took the majority, killed the resistors and separated them into two groups. The clean and the unclean.

Fast forward to the end, the Enclave's plan to take control of the West failed, their president was killed, Arroyo was rebuilt and she was born seventeen years later. Growing up Ellen never left, she wasn't allowed to. Her parents were reserved, wary of outsiders, and she was their only child. She supposed it was why she became a courier for the Mojave Express, she wanted to travel, explore, live her life and Vegas was the perfect place to start. Her Dad was hoping she'd follow in his footsteps and become a doctor, but it just didn't interest her and she thought that in the end, he knew that.

Ellen wondered whether everything that had happened to her was some sort of payback for being so selfish, for picking up and leaving like that without a word, maybe she deserved all of this.

"Alright baby let's get this kicking, You got questions, I got answers.” Benny sat down beside her on the sofa with the drinks they'd ordered on the way in, handing her a glass of whisky whilst sipping at his own. He'd taken her to the Ace's Theatre, leading her into the private section that was guarded by four chairmen. The theatre was busy, the smell of smoke and booze hanging heavy in the air as guests filled the tables to watch the newly recruited Bruce Isaac on the brightly illuminated stage accompanied with bright red curtains draping down behind it and the Ace’s Theatre Neon sign shining above. Ellen could also hear the radio, _Jingle Jangle Jingle_ playing faintly in the background as a group of theatre-goers by the bar danced and sang along to the words. It made Ellen smile, everything about this place, the music, the people, the mood, she loved it...probably a bit more than she’d liked to admit. “So where do you want to begin?"

"House." Ellen started, dismissing the thought of her parents and the theatre and now interested in listening to what Benny had to say. "Why shouldn't I give the chip to him?"

“Pussycat, every boss has a line to explain why he's special, why everyone gotta do what he says. Respect where due, but that old man is square to the core.” Ellen stayed quiet, waiting for him to elaborate. “Vault 21, the old cat had half the place filled with concrete, stripped it for useful techno first, then told the folks living there to disperse. Just a way to expand his control you dig? Force them to rely on him, have no opposers to his game plan. After some begging, House let Jittery Janey who runs the vault now turn it into a hotel, all profits to him.”

“He did that?” House hadn’t told her about any of this, but why would he? Maybe Benny was just over exaggerating.

“Afraid so.” Ellen drank some of her whisky as he continued. “The old man wants to rebuild Vegas in it’s former glory and that’s understandable. Vegas gotta swing, gotta have pizazz, but by rebuilding, House means forcing these smaller, less fortunate groups out of their homes, so he can move bigger families in to make money for him. I’m betting he’s gonna begin with Freeside. The place is trash baby, you’ve seen it. The Kings or them whizzes from the Old Mormon Fort won’t stand a chance against those bots of House’s.”

“But, they’d have nowhere to go.”

“I know baby, but what can we do?” Ellen stared down at her empty whisky glass, she should probably slow down.

“Can’t the NCR do anything?”

“Oh yeah the nation of meddlers, they’re too busy scrapping with the Legion over Hoover Dam, Freeside is a lost cause.” Benny answered, pouring her out another glass.

“What’s the deal with them?”

“They’re greedy control freaks baby, the biggest gang of thieves in the Mojave, only difference is they pass laws to make their crimes legal before they commit them. They force the locals to pay them taxes in exchange for protection, and oh it’s a service you can rely on right? Wrong. They let the whole town of Nipton go up in flames and they didn’t even try to prevent it.” Ellen ran a stressed hand through her hair, taking her glass from Benny and downing the whole lot of it. “You had friends there?” He asked, briefly eyeing her again empty glass before looking back at her.

“What- oh, no I just- I was there when it happened.” She muttered, not meeting his gaze as she spoke.

“Jesus Pussycat, I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories-”

“It’s fine.” Ellen told him, leaning forward to put her glass down on the table. “...What about this independence idea of yours then?”

“Independence means everyone’s getting treat fair. No imposed taxes, no loss of freedom, no groups trying to assert their dominance over each other. It’s encouraging these smaller communities to become more self reliant, let them thrive.”

“And the Strip?”

“Well ideally baby, the Chairmen become the ruling family.”

“The other two families are okay with that?” Ellen asked, curious to know how long he’d been planning this. Every question she had, Benny was ready with an answer like he’d already thought about what she might ask.

“Set it up right, and they'll will roll with our caper. There’d have to be some convincing.” For a minute Ellen kept her eyes on the table while she thought, daring to consider the idea of working with Benny and wondering whether something like that could really be pulled off. “Think about it baby, we knock House out of the running and find a way to take control of those Securitrons of his, all we need to do is get everyone else on board with us and when the times comes, we send the NCR and Legion packing. You’ve talked to Yes-Man, you know we can pull this off, Vegas will be ours.”

“Ours?”

“Baby, you and me together, we’d kill it at running this place.” Chewing her lip, Ellen swept her hair over one side as she watched him, wondering if he really meant what he was saying. She had every reason not to believe him, he had tried to _kill_ her, was she just supposed to ignore that? But Independence...It all made sense. It was just what Vegas needed, what Freeside needed, the Followers, Goodsprings, Primm. When Ellen thought about it, really thought about it, she hadn't heard anyone talk about how much they loved House, except House himself...

She just- She needed to think.

“Do you mind if I go to the bathroom?" Ellen asked, already up off the sofa before he could answer.

"-Sure baby, you okay?"

"Yeah." She muttered, not looking back at him as she quickly walked towards the theatre doors and thanking the doorman as she left, Ellen nervously ran down the stairs, moving through the busy crowds of casino-goers to the restrooms near the out of use elevators, the quieter area of the Tops. A group of women were just leaving as Ellen got there and pushing the bathroom door shut behind her, she let out a frustrated sigh as she stared up at the cracked ceiling. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be the courier Benny shot for the platinum chip, the courier House let into the Lucky 38, or the courier that lied to the Legion...Everything was just so fucked up.

Ellen tried telling herself this was all just the alcohol playing with her mind, it was just Benny putting ideas into her head, but she'd been so focused on getting the chip back to House, so sure it was the right thing to do, so desperate to finish her contract, she'd been going with what was most convenient for her, she didn't stop to think about what anyone else wanted.

It was selfish, she was a selfish person.

Still looking up at the cracks in the ceiling, she thought about everything that had happened since leaving Goodsprings. She'd met so many people, listened to so many stories, been through so much...

Her vision became blurry as tears stung her cheeks, what was she supposed to do? Looking down from the ceiling and focusing on her reflection, she walked up to the fractured mirror hanging crookedly on the wall, the cracks making her look even more distorted than she already felt. The door creaked open, the muffled noise from outside becoming momentarily clearer as Benny slipped in, before quietly shutting it again behind him. She’d been gone a while, he was bound to be wondering what was going on. "Hey baby...You alright?"

"I'm fine." Ellen answered, breaking the gaze with her reflection and turning her head to look at him.

“You're crying." He told her, his stare full of concern.

"I said I'm fine Benny." She snapped, fooling nobody with that shaky voice.

For a minute they stood in silence before Ellen glanced up from the sink, watching Benny as he leaned against the doorframe of a toilet stall and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from inside his jacket. He lit the cigarette and it was strange, the flames made his eyes shine a way Ellen had never seen them before. Benny snapped the lighter shut, extinguishing the flame along with Ellen's thought. She looked back down at the sink. “You think you can outsmart House and just get rid of him like he's nothing...” Ellen said quietly, “He knew what you were up to from the beginning Benny. He knew I went to see you the other night, he'll know I'm talking to you now..." For once he didn't have an immediate response, urging her to continue. "You're so sure everyone wants independence, but if they did why haven't you told the rest of the chairmen about any of this yet?"

"Because they're losers baby, they'd sell me out the minute I'd let it slip."

"Why would they do that?"

"They just would Pussycat, there ain't no loyalty here, this city's full of finks, you really need me to tell you that?" Benny pushed himself off the doorframe with a puff of his cigarette and slowly walked up to her. "Look, I know I made a bad first impression, but baby it can't be any coincidence you showing up like this. You and me were meant to work together."

"...Why do you have so much trust in me?”

"Just something about you Pussycat, can't really explain it." Benny murmured, taking one last drag of smoke before pulling the cigarette out of his mouth and killing the light with a few dregs of water left in the sink, discarding it there. He looked back at her and Ellen felt a sudden heat rush to her cheeks as their eyes met. She quickly glanced away, knowing it was beyond crazy what she was feeling, but she couldn't stop it.

“Alright...I’ll help you.” Ellen said after a minute, breaking her gaze with the sink to look at him again. “But I want the Lucky 38.”

“..Baby that place is big league, you sure you know how to run a casino?” Benny smiled at her, his eyebrows furrowed and arms folded as he leaned back against the side.

“I can learn.” She murmured, unsure to what the hell she was doing, but she’d deal with it when she was sober. “So do we have a deal?”

“I think we do Pussycat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! My goodness this took a while to write, a very chatty chapter indeed, Benny just goes on and on about why independent Vegas is the best Vegas doesn’t he?
> 
> Updates like I said before will be scarcer since starting sixth form (for all things holy don’t ever pick history at a-level D:), but I am really determined to continue with this fic and I'm so excited to move onto the next chapter!!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed and have a good morning/afternoon/evening whenever you’re reading <3


	9. The one with the double cross

**_Ellen_ **

With a shiver she was awake. Her eyes adjusting to the light with a few blinks, Ellen looked over to the entrance. Arcade had left the tent door open again. The camp bed creaking beneath her as she sat up, Ellen leaned over to pick up her vault suit off the floor. Dressed a minute later, she sat back down to put on her shoes. She was meeting Benny at midday to talk about House. She felt nervous thinking about it, they were talking about getting rid of him completely. Was that even possible? Ellen had seen House's security, but when things turned hostile, she'd be going into it blind.

"You're up early." Arcade walked into the tent, dropping more notes down onto the desk and slouching back in the chair. "Going somewhere?"

"Just to the Strip." She replied, brushing her raggedy hair back behind an ear.

"Hmm, the Strip again." He observed. "Your friend still in town?"

"Yeah." Ellen answered, brushing off his suspicion. "It's his last day so I'm just going to say goodbye."

"His?" Arcade pointed out jokingly, his eyebrow raised with a smirk.

"What?" She smiled back, standing up off the bed.

"Nothing, it's good you're out socialising again." He told her, turning in his chair to look at the terminal. "And you never know, maybe you might meet someone." Ellen titled her head, thinking for a minute, before picking up her jacket off the hanger by the door. "You're thinking about it."

"Oh, no, I doubt it." She told him, pulling on the jacket and zipping it up over her vault suit. "I'll see you later."

"Valeas." Arcade said back, whatever that meant. Ellen just assumed he'd said bye.

Walking out of the tent, she left the fort through the gate and headed down towards the Strip. It was breezy out, but that didn't stop the increasing heat of the sun. Sometimes she wished she lived somewhere else where the weather wasn't so unbearable. Somewhere up north maybe. Coming up to the Impersonation School, a passing king smiled at her. 

"Hey."

"Hello." Ellen smiled back, continuing down the path towards the Strip. Thinking back to today as she looked up at the 38' she felt uneasy. Agreeing to help Benny get rid of House, Ellen wondered whether it was really the right thing after all. Working with Benny she meant. Maybe she did feel a bit attracted to him and she'd never be able to explain why, but the way he acted, it felt to her like he was playing along with it all until the time was right to cheat her again.

Her mind clouded with second thoughts, Ellen hadn't seen it coming. Taken by complete surprise, her head cracked against the brick wall. Blood pounding in her ears at the sudden adrenaline rush, Ellen winced, her forehead throbbing with pain as she held it. What the fuck had just happened? She turned her head and froze as she came face to face once more with a 9mm pistol, the barrel ice cold as it was pushed into her scarred temple. The King she'd just passed stood on the other end, a smirk on his lips as he watched her. "Easy there Princess."

At first she was confused. The Kings knew her, they'd never do something like this. But looking at the King in front of her, something was off. Although her memory wasn't as sharp as it used to be and the Kings all looked very similar, she was sure she hadn't seen him before. "What's going on?" Ellen asked, her breathing on a stand still as the pistol dug further into her temple. A click away from death, she was taken once again back to Goodsprings. It was stupid really, she'd agreed to help Benny and whether she could trust him or not, she thought she could start to get over it. Like she'd said before, he'd had every opportunity to retake the chip, but he never. It had Ellen wondering what would have happened if she refused to help. That's where the trust issues began.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He answered, clicking off safety. His finger then moved to the trigger and like an impulse she threw herself at him. Hitting the ground with a thud, the pistol flew out of his hand, landing somewhere in the road and Ellen swung at him, catching the bridge of his nose. The king growled in response, blood spewing from his nose as he lunged forward and struck her windpipe. Nearly all the oxygen knocked out of her lungs, Ellen collapsed to the floor, her chest tight as she gasped for air. Swiftly wiping away the blood with the back of his hand, the king rolled her over to face him, his hands snaking around her throat. "Is that all you got?" He asked mockingly, his grip tightening around her neck.

Struggling, Ellen clawed at his hands desperately, wriggling in his grip as she tried to break free. The king laughed at her as more blood began pouring from his nose. Distracted, he raised one hand to wipe it away and with all her strength Ellen kneed him in his stomach as hard as she could. Snarling in angered pain, he let go of her and fell down. Scrambling up, Ellen searched the floor for something, anything. Spotting a discarded brick lying on the path, she snatched it up and smashing it over the king's head with the last bit of energy she had, she collapsed down against the wall.

Her heart pounding in her chest, Ellen stared down at the unconscious king as she struggled to catch her breath. A pool of red began forming beneath his head, his chest becoming more congested with every breath. Ellen noticed a discoloured piece of paper lying beside him. Crawling forward she snatched it up, her hands trembling as she looked down at the king again before unfolding it to see a printed message:

_Package Reclamation: One (1) Oversized Poker Chip, composed of Platinum._

_The package is to be retrieved and delivered at the north entrance to the Vegas Strip, by way of Freeside. An agent of the recipient will meet you at the checkpoint, take possession of the package, and pay for the delivery._

_Possessor of package: Miss Ellenor Cofran (see details below)_

Ellen choked, her breathing constricted as bile rose in her throat. She felt sick. House had sent someone to kill her. Tears filling her eyes, her vision became blurred as she scrambled up, but falling back against the wall as her legs began to shake uncontrollably. House had sent someone to kill her. The sentence repeated in her head. Her head burning from where it had scraped the wall, Ellen looked back down at the king still unconscious. It all made sense now. Disguised as a king, he'd been sent by House to _kill_ her. She-She needed to see Benny.

Stuffing the note into her pocket, Ellen looked both ways before dragging the king further into the alleyway and leaving quickly towards the Strip. Pulling up the hood of her jacket, Ellen kept her head down as the gate scraped open. The securitrons greeting her into the Strip, she hurried through the street, her heart racing as she passed the Lucky 38 and daring to look up, Ellen could see Victor, stood at the entrance in the same spot he had been when she seen him a couple of nights ago. Walking on the right hand side of the road, mixing in with the groups of people stood outside the Gomorrah, he didn't notice her and nervously continuing as she glanced up at two NCR soldiers, Ellen walked through the second gate.

Her head throbbing, Ellen followed a group of early gamblers into the Tops. The lobby was quiet, Ellen looked over to the desk where she could see Benny talking to Swank. He looked annoyed and glancing up from the clipboard he was holding, his eyes were almost immediately on her, his frown loosening into a concerned look. Keeping his focus on her, Benny muttered something to Swank before handing him the clipboard and stepping out from behind the desk. He walked over to her, looking away the chairmen guards on their way to her. "I need to talk to you." Ellen told him, anxiously looking over her shoulder as the lobby doors swung open. Just more gamblers.

"What's going on?" He asked quietly, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at the graze on her forehead.

"I-I can't tell you here." She murmured back, nervously watching the chairmen guards over by the desk as they eavesdropped in on their conversation.

"...Come on." Benny told her, pulling open the door and following her outside. Leading her over the street to a bench around the side of Boulevard Station, he sat down, gesturing for her to follow. Holding the side of her hood as she looked over her shoulder again, she sat down beside him. "So, wanna tell me what happened to your head?" Benny asked, watching her sit.

"House sent someone to kill me." Ellen told him, reaching into her pocket for the note.

"...What?" Benny asked, his expression confused.

"House sent someone to kill me." She told him again, pushing the note into his hands. "I found this." Unfolding the paper, Benny glanced at her before taking a minute to read it. "He knows everything...Benny I can't do this anymore, he's going to kill me!"

"Hey." She felt his fingertips brush her hand. "I won't let that happen alright?" He tilted his head at her and after a minute she nodded, staring down at his hand on hers. Following her gaze, Benny looked at their hands together. "So this hired gun?" He asked a moment later, clearing his throat with a cough and pulling his hand back to rest on his knee. "What they look like?"

"I-I can't remember, but he was dressed as a king. He wasn't one of them though."

"You kill him?" Benny asked quietly, their eyes meeting for a second but he quickly broke it off.

"No." He nodded, pressing his lips together as he looked over at the Ultra-Luxe, his hand now under his chin like he was thinking. They sat in a tense silence for what seemed like forever, before Benny began talking again.

“Listen, we don't have to do this now, we'll go back to the Tops, take a look at your head.” He kept his stare forward. “Your neck too." Ellen didn't realise he'd noticed. “And we’ll figure it out later.”

Standing up, Benny kept his eyes on the floor as he waited for her. Unsure how to react, Ellen followed him up and they walked in another strained silence back across the street and into the Tops.

Inside, Benny left Ellen with the Chairmen's medic, Tommy Torini, while he went and took care of something. He didn’t say what. Telling Tommy she'd just tripped and fell, he cleaned out the bit of debris from the cut on her forehead and then had a look at her neck. He told her it'd hurt until the bruising went down, but it was nothing serious. He also told her he managed the Tops entertainment in the theatre and said that if she found anyone talent-worthy to just let him know. Now that he'd mentioned it, she had met a guy just north of the El Dorado lake, he hadn't told her his name though. He played the guitar and had asked if she knew where there was any work. Maybe she'd have to go see him at some point. “Alright baby, you’re good to go and remember, you see any good acts while you're out wandering, just send them Tommy’s way alright?”

“Thanks Tommy, I’ll be on the look out.” Leaving the infirmary, Swank was stood waiting outside for her.

“Hey baby doll, you feeling any better?” He asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine thanks.” Ellen half-heartedly smiled back, her head still aching but she was trying not to think about it.

“That’s good to hear baby, Benny just sent for me to take you to the Presidential, get yourself cleaned up and dressed down into something more comfortable dig? He’s just busy dealing with some chumps causing a scene upstairs, should be back soon.”

“Alright.” Walking with Swank back towards the casino floor, he was chatty. He told her about the new renovation plans for the Tops. They were looking to restore the other elevators and open more floors in the hotel, but they hadn’t found the time to do it yet. Then he began talking about the increase in weapons they were having to confiscate around the Tops.

“Can't make the bread if the bakers are full of lead, you dig it?” Swank told her, stopping to talk to a chairmen guard about some bar-fight that had just happened between two drunk gamblers in the theatre. “Sorry doll, this place is all sorts of crazy at the minute...” They continued through the casino to the presidential that was being guarded by two chairmen. “Alright you head on inside baby, I’m gonna run and find you something to wear. Just let one of these guys know if you need anything while I’m gone, dig?“

“Okay.” Ellen told him and smiling at her again, Swank left back towards the lobby. Watching him until he was out of sight, Ellen paused as she held her hand on Presidential suite’s door, unable to shake the feeling of guilt she had. Thinking it about it all, swearing it was a mistake agreeing to work with Benny, so sure she’d always hate him for what he did and constantly reassuring herself that he couldn’t be trusted.

But after everything he'd done for her today. Maybe she was wrong.

**_Benny_ **

"How's it looking?"

"Not good pal, the control pad's jacked."

"There's no other way you can fix it?"

"Afraid not." This was all he needed. A schizo elevator and a migraine so bad it was making him dizzy. Irritable too.

"Just open the stairs...Here." Benny muttered, quickly flicking through the report and signing his name at the bottom before handing it back. Annoyed, he left back towards the casino floor hoping he could make it the lobby without something else falling apart. What could possibly happen next, he wondered, because the way things were going he wouldn't be surprised if the Tops caved in on itself completely. Heading into the lobby, Benny walked behind the desk to where Swank was, flicking through more reports. With a sigh, he swiped a pen from the side ready to hear his next headache.

"Look at this, we're paying out more than we're getting in." Swank handed him the clipboard. "You know, we may as well just shut the casino all together at this rate." Skim reading the figures on the page, Benny scribbled his name at the end. They'd had this before. Card counting, hand mucking, past posting, cheating finks spoiling it for everyone else.

"Get the slots and tables checked." He told Swank, annoyedly turning over the page of the report, glancing up as the lobby doors swung open, a group of gamblers walking in, but his attention on Ellen. He wasn't supposed to be meeting her till midday. Looking back at him, she stayed by the door, nervously holding the side of her hood. "...And I want all the card dealers replaced, got it?"

"Sure." Handing Swank back the clipboard, he stepped out from around the desk, warning away his guards as he walked over to her.

Fifteen minutes later, he'd left her with Tommy, needing a sec to clear his head, get to grips with what had just went on. She'd told him it all, that fink who hurt her in Freeside playing dress up, the note...There were few times when Benny got angry. Annoyed sure. But angry. So wound up he couldn't sit still. And so agitated he couldn't shake the thought of wanting to wring someone's neck away. Watching his mom's weasel of a boyfriend beat her to the pulp or his good for nothing sister bail on him for those Omerta finks, like he said, he rarely got angry. But this, seeing Ellen come into the Tops, her head all bashed in and those hand-prints around her neck, then finding out it was all House's doing? It'd set something off in him.

Head cooling didn't last long though, this was the Tops! Junkies, on the tenth floor. A whole bunch of them up in a hotel room, using it as their own personal chem den. And when he didn't think he could hate this casino more...

Irritated, Benny caught Swank, told him to take Ellen to the Presidential suite, find her something to wear, before trekking up ten flights of stairs to deal with the space cadets. An hour later, he was back downstairs. Dismissing the chairmen stood outside the Presidential, Benny quietly slipped in, his eyes resting on Ellen as she turned round on the sofa to look at him. "Hey baby." He murmured, running a stressed hand through his hair as he walked over to her. "Sorry it took me so long, just had a few things to sort out upstairs." Taking off his jacket, he dropped it down onto the coffee table and sat down next to her, glancing at this white nightdress she was wearing. Short, strappy and showing, he just wished he was in the mood to enjoy it. “You alright?” Benny asked, slouching back on the sofa and tugging at his collar to loosen his tie.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Ellen told him with an unconvincing smile. “...They give you trouble?” She asked, looking down at the scratches on his hand.

“Oh, yeah, it was this crazy broad- Diane or something, I couldn’t really hear over all the yelling. Part of this drug operation going on in one of the rooms, a whole gang of them hiding in there. She refused to leave without her boyfriend, Jack. Kicked and screamed all the way down to the lobby. Romantic really.”

“Diane and Jack?” Ellen asked, looking confused.

“Yeah, you know em’ or something?”

"What? Oh, no." She looked down for a minute and following her gaze, he noticed a greenish bruise on her thigh. He also saw the ones on her back too, scattered all over it as she leaned down to pick up the empty wine glass by her feet. It frustrated him, more than Ellen'd ever believe and more than he could explain why. "You want one?" Ellen asked, pulling him out of his thought.

“Please." He replied with a half-hearted smile, watching her walk over to the bar and grab another glass. "Thanks Pussycat." Benny mumbled as she came back a minute later, handing him the filled glass. Sipping at the wine, he placed it down on the side, the liquid burning his throat. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go on."

"Where are you from? I know it's unrelated, but all it's been is business between us two dig? I barely even know you baby..." Looking at him for a minute, her lips curled into a smile like she hadn't been asked that often. Pretty girl like her, most fellas probably wouldn't bother with the small talk.

"Arroyo, born and raised." Yeah, Benny had heard of it. Real fancy city. Never been himself though.

“Arroyo huh? You like it there?"

“Honestly, no. I was definitely lucky to live there, but my parents, I was their only child so they were very protective. I wasn't allowed to leave the village or talk to anyone they didn't know. I was home-schooled too, so I never really had any friends growing up.”

“...Why didn’t you say something to them?”

“I tried, but they never listened. So I just went along with it, saved up some caps and left a few days after I turned seventeen, I didn’t tell them.” To him, they deserved it, but he could see Ellen felt bad about the whole thing.

“You ever plan on going back?” He asked quietly.

”I’ve thought about it, but I doubt my parents would be happy.”

“You’d be better off here anyway, with me.”

“Benny.” Ellen looked at him as if to say it would never happen, but she was definitely thinking about it.

“What? I like having you around Pussycat.” He told her with a smile, resting his arm over the back of the sofa.

“...What about you then?” Ellen asked, pulling her legs up to sit more comfortably. “Any family?” Now that was something he hadn’t talked about in a while. And usually he wouldn’t.

“I have a sister, Lola. We grew up with our mom, the old man walked out on us while we were still cooing dig? We were close I suppose, but then our mom passed and I joined the _Boot Riders_ , tried persuading her to join too, but she was having none of it so we ended up going our separate ways. Then, seven years ago when we became the Chairmen, I find out she’s working for those Omerta finks, changed her name to Sweetie, working for chems no caps involved. Lola only left when they started charging her for em’.”

“Do you know where she is now?”

“Nah, I haven’t seen her since. Just me now, baby.” Ellen nodded, her lips pursing into another smile as she watched him, he wondered what she was thinking. A sudden knock at the door snapped him out of the daze. “-Let me get that.” Benny told her, clearing his throat with a nervous cough. Standing up, he walked over to the door, not even getting halfway across the room before it opened anyway and Swank came pacing in, pistol in hand. “What’s going on?” Benny asked with a frown, cautiously taking a step back as he eyed the waving gun.

“Sorry to come bargin’ in like this, but there’s Kings in the lobby. They’re looking for Ellen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9, finally!! As I've said, I've been busy adjusting to A levels and so updates will be less often, but as always I hope you enjoyed and have an amazing day! <3
> 
> Just a side note, Sweetie or Lola as I’ve called her in this, is actually in fallout new vegas working in the Casa Madrid Apartments. I thought she had a somewhat resemblance to Benny so I thought I’d make it interesting and make her his sister as we don’t actually get to know that much about Benny’s background in the actual game!!
> 
> You may also have recognised Diane and Jack, they are of course the Great Khans who work as chem dealers in the Red Rock Canyon.
> 
> I do like to add little details like that in as they may well foreshadow future chapters!! Anyhow, if you’ve made it this far, thanks so much for reading and I’m very excited to share the next chapter with you! XD


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